Development of the Children's Abilities in School. A comparative study between the efficiency of the Robotics vs Applied Mathematics in Movement Transmission

• Main Author: Ana-Maria Popa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: West University of Timisoara 2020-07-01
• Series: Revista de Știinţe Educaţiei
• Subjects: math; networking; performance; robotics; students
• Online Access: https://rse.uvt.ro/pdf/2020/Nr1_update/RSE_4.pdf

A qualitative and comparative analysis is performed regarding the possible consequences of the introduction in the school curriculum of 10-12 years old children, of Robotics and Applied Mathematics in Movement Transmission (AMMT) courses, respectively. The research has been done at the Gymnazial School Number 195, from Bucharest, during two scholar years (2017-2019). Each class had 36 students and the two hours Robotics / AMMT courses had a weekly frequency. Direct observation, interviews of the children and parents, together with the class and individual journals, where children noted their opinions during the two years, are analyzed and interpreted. The results show better scholar performances of the children following Robotics courses, in respect to the ones following AMMT ones and a greater attraction of the children in Robotics. Further, a quantitative evaluation regarding the improvement of mathematical performances of children is presented, given a very similar level of the two classes at the beginning of the research in respect to their average Maths scores. The analysis involved several statistical parameters, like the average scores obtained at Math tests, their variances, the evolution of the children with the lowest performances and the number of the maximum scores in each class. All of them suggest the Robotics course efficiency in increasing mathematical performances level of young children is superior to the one of the AMMT course, recommending the introduction of such courses in the school curriculum